Just Not My Type
by vlora
Summary: A story exploring how Gwen dealt with the men in her life after the cameras switched off. Set between TDI and TDA – assumes that Total Drama Action doesn’t start straight after Total Drama Island and the teens are allowed some time off.
1. Deliquent and Goth

**Chapter One; Delinquent and Goth**

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Weeks; they'd spent _weeks_ fighting over the hundred thousand dollars. And then, just as Owen had accepted the money and the promise of a party was apparent, Chris dangles a million dollars in front of the oaf. So, in some vague attempt at the money once more, the teens had split up and fought for the money – only to be left with the promise of a whole new series to compete for the money. To Gwen, it all seemed a huge farce. It seemed like no one had won anything, and that all she'd gained was a sour look on life – and a boyfriend who had dazzling green eyes, black hair and an amazing ability to play guitar. She flushed a little as the sun began to dip down in the sky. She didn't have long till she was expected to run around for the entertainment of thousands once more… She would use her time wisely, effectively. With this thought in mind, Gwen slipped out of the mess hall and headed off toward the Dock of Shame – mostly to think about the challenges she would face in accepting a boyfriend and coming to terms with the competition at hand.

Gwen settled down on the edge of the dock; oddly enough, the camp enforced little in the way of rules. There was no chaperone, and there was no proper curfew. And, outside of the expected challenges they had to undertake, they could do whatever they wanted. The only unfortunate thing was there was nothing to do around camp anyway, unless you counted _socialising_. Her dyed blue locks fell in front of her eyes as she sniffed the air around her. She regretted this instantly as the familiar stench of swamp water and fake pine trees caused her nose to buckle into a wrinkled mess. 'Stupid camp… only a few more days… gonna get outta here…' she whispered under her breath, her eyes now focused on an approaching silhouette along the boardwalk.

'Yes?' Gwen mumbled, her arms laced around her knees. Her face was turned up to the figure before she registered the green eyes and tousled black hair. 'Trent! Ah, h-he-hi, Trent…'

'That's me,' Trent coughed back a laugh – he couldn't believe he still manage to catch Gwen in such a way… to leave her mumbling and befuddled for a few unguarded seconds.. He didn't wait for an invitation before sitting down next to Gwen, his hands settled behind him. 'So, looking forward to…' he trailed off, noticing Gwen stand up.

'We're cool, but I just don't feel like talking right now. Trying to sit and think. Alone,' Gwen explained as she walked off toward camp once more. Trent, as she predicted, stood up and aptly stepped in front of her – this always seemed to happen. 'Trent?' she sighed, her arms hanging loosely by her side.

'I just thought we could hang out and stuff,' he pointed out with a gentle touch of her shoulder.

The phrase 'and stuff' rung through her head a few times as she examined Trent; in a decisive second Gwen scoffed up at the taller boy, 'Fine, look… is this because of Bridgette and Geoff?' The two had been all over one another ever since their reunion… this left Gwen and Trent surrounded by the looks of others… as if they were expecting the tenuously bound relationship to flourish into some inferno of passionate make-outs. 'Just - forget I said that,' Gwen said with a small laugh; one thing the two were not was simple-minded jocks. She was friends with Geoff and Bridgette after all, but… she and Trent were sensitive art types.

'Because of – ah, no.' Trent shrugged his guitar up his shoulder. Without much of a thought, the two began to head off towards the dorms. 'I just like talking to you… is that a bad thing? Just because you act like it is…' Trent added with a small laugh.

'You're just saying that,' Gwen countered, her smile hidden behind a hand. Trent placed a gentle kiss to her temple, a hand wrapped around her shoulder. The moment didn't last long with two girls rushing past, it was Beth and Lindsey of all people... With a shared smirk, Gwen and Trent watched the girls disappear. 'Uhm. Do we wanna find out what they're up to?'

Trent met this question with a shrug and a smile, 'Do you even care?'

'Not really…' Gwen agreed coyly, a stupid blush filling her pale cheeks. Guarding herself from Trent, she crossed her across her chest. 'Where is everyone?'

'Good question,' Duncan cawed from the branches above the two. He seemed to be whittling something into a point, but held a broad smirk firmly across his face. He had probably witnessed the exchange between Trent and Gwen with amusement and interest, 'Don't stop cooing on my account – I was barely listening.'

'Perv,' Gwen said with a small quip to her lips – she didn't mean it, but her voice sounded a little off-put.

'Hey you wandered under _my_ tree…'

'Duncan,' the two said in unison, sharing a look of promise – they'd talk later. Trent waved a hand as Gwen turned to look up at Duncan once more. 'Is this because of Courtney not making it to season two?' Gwen asked, her hands settling on her hips. Bracing herself for impact, Duncan landed a foot away from her with a dull smirk.

'After she tried to leave me behind with a twisted ankle? Ditching me for some money? Ah… no, doesn't bother me,' Duncan shrugged, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders raised. 'Why, does it bother you, you don't have competition anymore?'

'She was never competition,' Gwen scoffed with a raised eyebrow. Courtney was – nice and all, but they never really had a great time together. The preppy upstart was the type that Pixiecorpse and Reaper would've made obvious fun of. The two exchanged a look before Gwen decided Duncan had nothing else to say.

Of course, in this camp guys had no idea of etiquette. Duncan took a step around her, standing between Gwen and the rest of the camp. 'Competition for _me,_ I'm worth more than a hundred thousand dollars, really.'

'Really,' Gwen muttered through clenched teeth. 'I just want to go sit and think… and act aloof. Is that so hard for you people to understand?'

'I understand perfectly sweetheart,' Duncan countered, his hand absently scratching at his chin, 'I mean, I'm the scary ol' delinquent punk kid. I'm all about the aloof façade… And you're the goth babe that tries to _act_ aloof,' Duncan smirked as Gwen pushed past him once more. Watching her disappear off into her cabin, he sighed through his nose. Was it odd he felt he should follow her and try to comfort her? That sounded weird to Duncan on _so _many levels. Ignoring the thought, averted his eyes to where Beth and Lindsey had gone… if that was their names – he never cared to remember. They acted as competition, and in Lindsey's case, something to look at when he got bored. He mightn't be interested in her, but he could appreciate the curves the girl sported.

Gwen watched as Duncan sped off into the forest – she could only assume everyone else had head off in the same general direction, leaving her to her journal. Peeking around to make sure the coast was clear, Gwen tugged a book from under her pillow and began fervently writing out her thoughts, feelings and ideas of the day. It was all along the lines of how cute Trent was, how thankful she was that Trent was willing to date her and how interesting she'd found Duncan – though she'd never admit any of this to another person. Without much thought for her time at camp, Gwen slipped the book back under her pillow and nestled into the thin blankets. She'd take a small nap, just a few minutes… it'd been a long day, and she was owed a few moments of piece.

With this, Gwen slept through the night without stirring till the expected wake-up call Chris always issued.

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	2. Affectionate Pet Names

**Chapter Two; Affectionate Petnames**

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Duncan found himself in amongst the other campers, sans Harold and LeShawna. Had he cared, he'd have questioned their absence. His attention was directed toward Trent, his smile genuine, 'Sorry for breaking up your little moment with Gwen,' he apologised, suppressing a snicker or two. All others were clustered around the abandoned campfire, roasting what was left of the immunity marshmallows.

'It's cool,' Trent said with a carefree laugh, his head tilting slightly to side, 'so is she still trying to act disinterested?'

'Yeah, failing too. Though she went off to the girls cabin…' Duncan noted, his arms crossed in amusement. 'Huh, weren't you supposed to meet up?' Duncan asked, taking a seat by the fire with his eyes fixed upon the smouldering wood. Trent didn't reply, just watching the same fire. DJ, who was sitting nearby, examined the two others before looking around.

'Anyone seen Bunbun?' DJ asked softly, his attention being easily drawn to the fuzzball. Duncan instantly looked around, not wanting to see DJ have to suffer through another disappearance of his beloved rabbit.

Izzy walked past, her smile almost cat-like, 'Who'd think rabbit stew _still_ tastes so good,' she laughed, her hands tucked behind her head. Duncan and DJ turned to her, their eyes wide. 'What? Chef made some deeeelicious rabbit stew. One time my grandma made rabbit stew out of my pet rabbit, and like, she didn't tell me till I'd eaten it and I was all crying and stuff, but she was laughing, and then I guess I blacked out… Dunno where grandma is now…' Izzy laughed for a moment before sitting down and roasting a marshmallow of her own.

DJ was already long gone, running through the forest in utter grief. 'Bunbun!' he screamed, his voice fading.

Duncan and Trent shared a shrug, eyes averted to the ground. There seemed to be some tension between them. There was no reason for it, right?

The night went and passed with little event – everyone seemed far too tired from the hunt for the million dollars. Most of the campers had dragged themselves off to bed by ten or eleven, leaving only the crumbled forms of Beth and Lindsey who were busy giggling and chatting about alliances they wished to form. The following morning was laced with tired faces and feeble friendships. Trent and Gwen found themselves smiling at one another through all this, their worn forms peaking a little after their breakfast.

'Well campers, how're you enjoying your break from challenges and chef's cooking?' Chris asked with his impossibly cheery expression, his voice tingling like nails in a jar. 'Remember everyone that it's just a few more days till we start on the exciting, the new, the wacky… Total Drama Action!'

As Chris paused, everyone assumed he was waiting for dramatic pause to take place it was hard to take him seriously without the sound effects they added in post-production. In the dramatic announcement, everyone had gotten up and left the cafeteria with little regard for Chris. They didn't need to listen to him until the next season had actually started… and cameras were off for now.

'Sorry about yesterday, I just totally zoned out,' Gwen admitted sadly to Trent.

'It's all good – you needed the rest.' Trent seemed agreeable today, though it was really no different from any other day…

'It was refreshing. Still, I'd have loved to spend some time with out once I got over that little phase…' Gwen said through a grin, examining Trent for a moment – a figure passed behind him quickly that caught her eye. Duncan seemed to run past fasted than she'd seen before.

'Something wrong? Trent asked with his usual smile, looking behind him for the source of Gwen's distraction.

'No, nothing…' Gwen sighed, her eyes turned back up to Trent. A comment came rushing back to her '_No competition now._' Had it been anyone else, Gwen would have brushed it off as innocent… but Duncan was anything but innocent or naïve. Pressing past Trent, Gwen explained she needed to go the toilet, a phrase that earned her some privacy. Within a few seconds, she was face to face with the confessional toilet she so loathed. Without a thought, Gwen pushed the door open and was faced with Duncan mid-sentence.

'Wait your turn goth girl,' Duncan partly scowled, partly smirked. With that he slammed the door, causing Gwen to growl under her breath. Taking a small moment of devious thought, the goth girl pressed her ear to the door and attempted to listen – she had nothing better to do whilst waiting, after all. Even with her evil little plan, Gwen was unable to hear much outside of bleak mumbles. Eventually Duncan exited the confessional without much of a glance at Gwen.

The girl sat herself down in the small toilet, closing the door with a click.

_**The Confessions;**_

Duncan; "I don't get her sometimes. She's angry at the guy, then she's happy, then not… then she is. I mean, I worry about her. The only reason she agreed to dating that guy is because he threw her over his shoulder. Me and Courtney… me and Courtney. Augh, don't even get me started on that…" _There was a pause, a light shining and the camera swinging out –_ "Wait your turn goth girl," _could be heard before the door shut again. _"Can't keep her away… Whatever, she's a cool chick, dunno what that guy did to get her to blush and fall all' over herself over nothing. I speak from the perspective of a concerned friend here, that guy… I get bad vibes… dunno why."

Gwen; "That guy is such a jerk sometimes. Whatever – I came here to just say… wait, what was I going to -" _the camera cut for a second, cutting back what seems mid-sentence,_ "I mean, where does he get the galls to say to me -" _the camera cut once more _"And to think, I said he was cute when we were playing truth or dare in the girls' cabin. Stupid Duncan."

_**End Confessional;**_

Gwen exited the confessional booth with a small huff and a frown. She had gone there to gush about herself and Trent, but found herself simply cursing the name of a guy she considered a friend. She kicked a rock or two as she walked with her hands in her pockets. The sound of feet plodding after her rose, causing her to turn and face whoever chose to be within a 20-foot radius, 'What?'

'Why're you always so grumpy?' Beth whined, her hands pressed against her cheeks.

Gwen just scoffed, continuing on her merry way back to camp.

'One of the guys wanted to meet you in the forest – uh, Gwen? Did you hear me?' Beth called, unsure whether Gwen was actually going to acknowledge her. In response, Gwen waved back to Beth – satisfied with this, Beth scampered off back to camp. Gwen, however, headed off toward the forest. She assumed Trent wanted to discuss their potential relationship, or how they could forget about the Heeather incident. So, of course, much to her surprise and expectations, she welcomed the sight of Duncan leaning against a tree with an airy smile across his face.

'I figured you owed me an apology because of the confessional.'

'You owe me some chocolate,' Gwen countered, a smile crossing her features. And, to be expected, Duncan pulled out some pilfered chocolate from his pocket with a laugh.

'Know me too well sweetheart.'

'What's with the nickname all of a sudden?' Gwen asked, thankfully accepting the meagre amount of chocolate.

'Why not,' Duncan smirked for a moment, 'sweetheart.'

'Juvie reject.'

'Freaky goth girl.' They both smiled, leaning against a tree each with a small amused grin.

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	3. The Typical Ideal

**Chapter Three; The Typical Ideal**

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Gwen and Duncan stood enjoying the pilfered chocolates till they finally stopped avoiding eye contact. Content with silence, and revering the birds chirping in the distance, the two city kids tried their best to ignore the prospect of pointless conversation. Several minutes later, the green-haired boy seemed to have concocted a conversation from the quiet atmosphere. Clearing his throat a little, Gwen turned to acknowledge him. 'So sweetheart,' Duncan began with a mockingly concerned voice, 'you seemed desperate to get into the confessional,' he trailed off, taking another bite of the chocolate. 'Care to share…?'

'You're rhyming now?' Gwen asked, an eyebrow darting up her forehead.

'Don't avoid the question.'

'I just wanted to talk about stuff,' Gwen reasoned, her back leaving the trunk of the tree so she was properly facing Duncan. 'Why, are you worried about me?'

Duncan shrugged, his hands now dug into his pockets. He wondered why the other girl had gone into the confessional – it had to be something decent. She didn't seem the type to rant about the little things. He could have blamed it on the events between Trent and Gwen, but something didn't seem to fit about that. He was worried for his friend, even if he wouldn't actually admit it.

'A shrug isn't an answer…' Gwen looked around the forest for a moment before leaning in the slightest, 'you really want to know?'

Duncan piqued his ears, his smile almost genuine, 'Of course, I hate to see you so gloomy,' he joked, knowing that was something Gwen was renown for, even if she was actually a girl under the goth.

'Chef's food wasn't sitting right, so…' she trailed off, much to her own embarrassment. It was partly true, seeing as she had verbally thrown up her feelings – and it was probably gross enough to deter any further questions.

'I hate you,' Duncan said with a laugh, shaking his head.

'I should hate you,' Gwen said with a small smirk. 'I mean, you steal, you lie, you're violent and a pyromaniac… not to mention you got thrown in juvie for –'

'Thought we agreed never to talk about it again,' Duncan said in a warning tone. Duncan had, somewhat stupidly, revealed the secret to his juvenile hall incarceration. It was something he wasn't proud of, and something he never thought Gwen would actually bring up again.

'Fine. But, all that put together doesn't really equal the typically ideal guy… but we're still friends,' Gwen hesitated. She considered Duncan a friend, but the jump seemed a little farfetched.

Duncan instantly bristled, his eyes narrowed at Gwen as she seemed to act suddenly dismissing and disapproving of the things that Duncan essentially was; he lied, he cheated, he stole and he swore… whoop-de-doo, she was starting to sound like Courtney. In some stupid way or another, he felt himself threatened and felt he needed to defend his _honour_.

'You have such a glowing opinion of me; my family would just love you. But Hell, when don't you find the negatives in life. Not to mention helping people feel crap about themselves,' Duncan countered with the same assured tone, his arms now tucked behind his head. 'I mean, you're a great friend and all, but you have a seriously nasty opinion of people – always with the negatives, never the positives… I guess I can't blame you though,' he added, looking around, 'this camp doesn't have many positives.'

'I wasn't finished.' Gwen seemed a tad befuddled. She had intended to counter all his negative points with things she considered good; like the way he acted around DJ, how he was actually a bit of a softie… LeShawna and Gwen both knew he was nothing but a lot of talk and show.

'Were you going to start discussing my moral corruption, or was that later on?'

'I said _typically ideal_. To me, you're ideal, and cool…' Gwen paused, her voice dropping a few decibels, 'idiot.'

Duncan looked as if he'd just had Santa delivered to him on a silver platter, 'Oh really? I'm ideal am I?' he jeered, his amusement genuine. 'That's a new one. I've never really heard a girl talk in such a nice way about me. Not even Courtney…' he half-sung the last part, as if to mock the teal-haired girl further. Rather than fighting back, Gwen just went quiet. Duncan, despite his usual aggression and enjoyment in others being angry at him, issued a small laugh. 'What? Did I say something?'

Silence once more, Gwen's eyes now averted to the ground in front of her.

Duncan stared, hesitantly prodding Gwen in the shoulder – rather than reacting, she just inched away slightly, pushing away from the tree and heading off toward camp. 'Hey, I didn't even get to tell you what I wanted to. Gwen,' Duncan tried once more, his eyes narrowed after her.

Gwen, on the other hand, was inwardly smirking. One thing she had learned in her lifetime was that actions speak louder than words – so ignoring was more potent then getting mad. Seeing as Duncan seemed to twist everything she said into some horrible comment or another, she'd just let him stew with the knowledge that he _somehow_ got to her… when in reality, she was just nodding and rolling her eyes the entire time.

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	4. Duncan's Storytime

**Chapter Four; Duncan's Story-Time**

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Much to Gwen's surprise, this approach seemed to work quite well. The next few hours were spent watching Duncan make a fool out of himself in various ways to try and catch her attention. First, Duncan tried stealing her diary. This only earned him an attack from Owen – of course, Duncan knew better than to actually steal the girl's journal after Heather had spilled about Gwen's crush on Trent. He needed a plan. And, considering the fact there was nothing to do for the next day or two, Duncan decided there was no better time than now to see how much it would take to get Gwen to break.

'Hey sweetheart, still not talking to me?' Duncan asked, sliding in along the table to sit next to Trent and Gwen. They seemed mid conversation, with Trent pausing only to give Duncan an apologetic look. 'What's that look for?'

'What look?' Trent asked, tilting his head with a casual laugh and a smile.

Duncan instantly growled, his eyes narrowing to slits; Trent and himself were bros, buds, dudes, hombres. But at the moment, Duncan was focused on the gothic little tart Trent had his arm around. 'Gwen, you know you can't ignore me forever. You're gonna crack sometime,' he grinned, assured of himself in the usual way.

Gwen didn't seem to register Duncan, ignoring him and not bothering to bat an eyelash his way. She was intertwined with Trent, her head resting on his shoulder and a yawn parting from her lips. 'Can we go somewhere more interesting?' Gwen asked Trent – instantly Trent lifted the girl up and bound off toward the forest.

Duncan was left gobsmacked, bewildered and confused… dazed even. All this vocabulary may have been hurting his head, but it seemed totally out of character to have Gwen all over Trent and for him to be so damn – well no, he would be excited for Gwen to be acting the way she was.

_Nothing could compare to this,_ Gwen thought to herself, a smile passing her lips. Duncan was actually being affected by her actions, seemingly perturbed by the fact she was now pointedly ignoring him. Trent allowed her down onto her feet once they were a few feets out of sight from the cafeteria, smiling down to the girl.

'Did it go well?'

'Yeah,' Gwen agreed, examining her skirt and shirt for a moment before patting Trent on the head, 'good boyfriend.'

Trent raised his eyebrow, arms wrapping around Gwen's waist, 'That's _all_ I get?'

Gwen rolled her eyes, a smile fading from her face in favour of a more agreeable expression, 'For now, yeah. Being all strong and carrying me around earns you my favour – you've gotta work for the rest.' Gwen flinched, 'That sounded a bit wrong.'

Trent laughed, 'I got what you meant,' he smiled, bending down and placing a chaste kiss against her lips. They stayed like this for a moment or two before Gwen let her head drop to his shoulder, her cheeks a dull red. She wasn't really used to tenderness or gentleness – more drunken flings that she barely remembered. 'So why're you ignoring him again?'

'Because -' Gwen frowned. She had a reason. She did. She just had to think of the reason; 'he's always turning comments back at me and calling me negative.' Gwen decided, her hands settled on Trent's shoulders. Gwen was focused on the ground once more, her mind trailing across what Duncan had said – maybe she had been a little harsh, but she'd been building to something nice… if he's let her speak, there wouldn't be an issue.

'Maybe go apologise,' Trent offered. In truth, he was kinda happy to see the two apart. Duncan and himself were on okay terms, but there was something between Gwen and Duncan he didn't approve of… he and Courtney had discussed it during their time off the island, and neither was willing to take a chance. Rather than waiting for her response, Trent took to kissing the teal-haired goth once more, earning him a little squeak in response, but a reciprocation he was thankful for.

A short while later, Gwen and Trent returned to camp; they were allowed their couples time, and Gwen was starting to agree with that. However, she returned to a rather upsetting sight. Duncan, the one she'd been so pointedly ignoring, was holding her diary in his clutches. 'Why do I even bother with that thing,' Gwen asked herself, her eyes falling to the ground.

'Hey Gwen, Trent,' Duncan said, seemingly excited to see the pair. Trent instantly approached Duncan, trying to seem as threatening as possible.

'Why do you have that?' Trent asked, his tone rather unexpectedly fierce – it seemed as if he were actually mad rather than just defending Gwen out of principle.

Duncan looked between the two, 'What? I haven't read it, I just wanted to say,' Duncan paused, 'I will – if you don't talk to me princess,' Duncan trailed off, the book clutched in his hand. Gwen still ignored the other boy, her arms tightly crossed. Duncan felt a small eye twitch, surprised by her resilience. 'if you insist…' he cleared his throat, running away to the totem pole – once there, he scaled the tower and sat at the top, smirking down at Trent who couldn't fathom climbing the precarious pole.

'Dear diary,' Duncan began, his eyes fixed on the figure shaking with utter rage – that is, Gwen. She was sticking to her guns, he'd give her that. The two were stubborn, but he had a feeling she'd crack first. 'Today I was in the forest,' his voice was oddly toned, as if he were mocking Gwen's own voice. A few of the other campers gathered around, eyeing Duncan with an unsure expression shared around. 'I spent the start of the day looking around for my stupid, pasty boyfriend and wondering why I was dating his sorry ass-'

Gwen stared, her jaw going slack. Examining the punk, he was opened to the very back page – she hadn't written any entries there… A few moments of thought, she came to the conclusion that he was simply going to be as embarrassing as possible for the sake of attention and for her to give in. A small sigh passed her lips as she listened to the completely overblown story Duncan concocted.

The other campers were in various states of shock and fear, especially as Duncan began scraping the barrel for things to say. Deciding it was time for the big guns, Duncan flipped a few pages, pretending to look for juicer parts. Gwen needed to remember that she had to beat him up for this. In the process of Duncan reading and Gwen staying oddly quiet, Trent had been trying to shake the totem pole loose to little effect.

'Owen, some help here,' Trent asked with a grin, trying to shove the pole as hard as possible.

Owen obliged, walking over and leaning against the pole – Duncan was mid-sentence, his voice cracking into laughter. 'I met up with Duncan later on – blah blah blah – he had the biggest -'

The pole, at this moment, began to topple, causing the journal to fly into the air as Duncan leaped for his life. Duncan landed with a loud crash. He managed to survive, sustaining a small cut to his palm but little else. The journal, however, went flying into the forest and the sound of birds could be heard off in the distance. Duncan stood up, a hand on his hip and a smirk on his face, 'Uh – don't worry everyone… I'm fine.'

LeShawna stared at Duncan before walking over and smacking him over the head, 'Didn't you learn from that Heather girl that you don't go readin' people's journals!?' she yelled, her hands on her hips and her lips angrily jutted out.

'Dude, I made it all up,' Duncan said with a look over to Gwen who nodded.

'He's trying to get my attention seeing as I've been ignoring him…' Gwen pointed out, her eyes narrowed at Duncan – he smirked triumphantly, Trent walking over and placing an arm around her shoulders. Duncan instantly soured, his hands diving into his pockets. 'You've got my attention, what did you want to tell me?'

Duncan seemed like a deer in headlights, looking between Trent and Gwen. It occurred to him that he _had_ won, but ended up upsetting one of the few people he got along with. 'Uh. April Fools?'

'Dude, it's August,' Trent said through his own annoyance at Duncan.

'I'll… just go get the journal,' Duncan said with a muttered word or two. Gwen shook her head and headed off for the forest.

'I'm gonna go get it, seeing as it's mine… better hope it's in tact,' Gwen said in a threatening voice as she walked off into the trees as the other campers disappeared. Trent and Duncan shared a look for a moment before walking off into the forest, shoving and pushing each other to get by.

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	5. Lost And Found

**Chapter Four; Lost And Found**

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Gwen returned to camp with her journal clutched under her arm. In tow were two boys, Trent and Ducan, who were elbow to elbow and shoving like crazy. Gwen didn't really see why they had suddenly invested so much attention into her, but she wasn't sure she appreciated it. 'Look, I'm just gonna go get some quiet time,' Gwen informed them before walking off toward the abandoned campfire.

Trent and Duncan remained in the background, examining one another before the green-eyed boy shrugged. 'Whatever your damage is, you need to get over it.'

'Dunno what you mean.'

'I mean how you're – do I even need to point it out?' Trent asked, looking around to see Owen and Harold in the midst of some discussion or another. 'Dudes, what's up with Duncan and Gwen?'

'Obvious he likes her,' Owen admitted.

'Totally crushin' on her, though I thin she's smart enough to avoid that mistake,' Harold remarked as he examined the taller male in front of him; he seemed to believe that Owen would offer enough of a physical barrier to protect him from the delinquent. Fortunately he was correct, Duncan attempting and failing to sidestep Owen.

'I am not 'crushin',' Duncan muttered, his face going a dull shade of red – from anger, he surmised. He didn't blush, it wasn't his thing. Before anything could be said or done, he noticed the torn fragments of paper that seemed to be brushing past the group. Turning, he spotted Gwen pulling pages out of her journal. 'Hey!'

Gwen didn't respond, and Trent only moved to make the reassuring boyfriend act more solid. Duncan watched as Trent pried the book from her hands and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He'd managed to talk her out of burning the rest of the pages, and Duncan couldn't help but watch with annoyance. He was friends with Gwen; he could easily have talked her out of it if he had been given the chance…

'I think he just acts out because it's all he knows,' Owen loudly stated, his hands coming to rest on his hips. 'I mean, he's this big hot-shot delinquent, but he went to juvie for - '

'Owen,' Duncan growled, his attention being drawn from the couple back to reality, 'I thought we agreed to never speak of that again.' He missed Gwen turning back to look at him, and then their departure off to the cabins. Duncan, as he turned back, found a few more pages scattered across the ground. Only the very edges had been scalded, leaving a few lines readable.

_I just don't know what to make of him. He's loud, obnoxious, but there's this sensitive guy under it. Maybe if I gave him some time, he'd stop all the crap he tries to put out there… I mean, I think he's cool… and smart… he's competitive, and protective… He likes the same – (the lines burned off from here, only a few words such as 'green' and 'black' were visible). Trent just doesn't - (the words faded again)._

Duncan's interest rose – whatever she had attempted to burn had him interested. He tucked it away in his pocket before hearing Harold referring to him as a clinically insane moron. Boy did that guy have a death wish.

Harold's cries of pain could be heard by Trent and Gwen, the pair now boxed up in the girls' cabin. Trent was lying on Gwen's bed whilst Gwen sat midway along the crappy mattress. 'I need to find somewhere better for this,' she whispered with a soft sigh, pushing it behind her pillow once more. There was no point in hiding it; it was like an unwavering force of some spiteful god trying to get back at her.

'Maybe just talk about how you're feeling,' Trent offered as an idea, his hands tucked idly behind his head. He was comfortable where he was, and with Gwen. The idea of Duncan stealing the journal pissed him off more than he liked to admit; especially with his horrible display of faking her entries… he wondered if there was something more to that, especially as Duncan had mocked him profusely throughout his little story.

'Talk? Uh, haven't you figured out yet I'm not good at being open with people…?' Gwen asked. Though she hated to admit it, she relished discussions with people and wore her heart on her sleeve. It was why she worked so hard to protect herself, and part of the reason she was so cold; assuming no one wanted to get close to her, she could protect herself easier. Trent was an exception, his green eyes and musician's soul catching her within the first few hours of camp.

'Just an idea,' Trent said with a small yawn, progressively sitting up and tugging Gwen into his lap. 'I care about what you have to say, after all.'

'You have to say that,' Gwen pointed out, her figure slumped a little more than usual. She supposed the reality of her situation had finally been realised to her; she was in a safe relationship with Trent, with very little in the way of angst or upheaval… excluding that episode between herself, Trent and Heather. Gwen forcefully pushed this particular thought from her mind, her hands settled on Trent's arm.

'I do have to say that, but it doesn't mean I don't want to.'

'What?' Gwen half-giggled, her head tilting back to look up at Trent. Eloquently, he pecked her on the cheek to silence her questions. She felt this was a good enough answer, leaving the two to continue to be one of the slow-moving, slow-witted couples Gwen saw forming all across camp, especially between Courtney and Duncan. 'Ow,' she muttered, her stomach giving a sharp twist.

'Something wrong?'

'No… just felt like something stabbed me in the spine,' Gwen laughed off, shuffling her shoulders a little.

Trent made a small awkward noise of amusement, unsure what to say back to his girlfriend's colourful display of metaphors. 'Just glad you're talking about it.' They shared another simple smile, causing Gwen's stomach to twitch once more. The sensation confused her, especially as she was curled up, comfortable and happy and – her stomach her again. She felt, with every passing thought, she knew the reason for her grief and frustration.

Across camp, there was still the ever-present fight between Harold and Duncan. 'Say Uncle!' Duncan demanded with his grip on Harold's arm fairly lethal. The boy in his grip had his face mashed into the dirt and his glasses askew.

'Like, no. I'll go ninja on you if you don't – Ow! Okay! Uncle! Gosh…' Harold half-crawled away as he was released, his eyes narrowed up at Duncan. He swore it was getting worse the more Duncan rejected his own feelings for Gwen – worse than that Courtney girl he seemed fond of. 'I'll get Owen to get you,' he muttered, looking over to the lofty giant nearby.

Owen was standing nearby examining the fallen totem pole, his eyes glued to something in the distance. 'Hey, I didn't know woodland critters liked to leave trails of paper…' Owen laughed, his hands settled on his hips once more.

Duncan gave a questioning look over to the other male before seeing the assortment of papers that had fluttered in from the forest. Within an instant, Duncan felt his heart jump. 'Alright, somewhere up there likes me,' he said with a small smirk as he began collecting the papers from the ground. They bore the same teal penmanship and curves, causing him to laugh. _She's already refusing to speak to me… may as well work out what's been on that pretty little mind of hers…_ he thought to himself as he attempted to find the scraps of paper.

Owen and Harold watched in confusion, 'He is so weird,' Harold muttered as he scratched his cheek. Owen, who nodded, had taken to sucking on a pinecone.

_Don't forget to reveiw~!_


	6. Singing Along To The Surprise

**Chapter Five; Singing Along To The Surprise**

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Something told Duncan that, should he choose to actually read the fragments of Gwen's journal he had recovered, he would be dead by morning. Something else told him he didn't care that much; well, he did care about remaining alive, but these remains of the girl's thoughts might just reveal something worthwhile to him. It would be a little more useful than her cold façade and closed off personality. Not that he was one to talk about being antisocial.

'Let's see what we have here,' Duncan muttered to himself, the pages shuffling between last week, months ago and then a few days ago… all jumbled, out of order and a little useless. After a bit of shuffling, Duncan sat back on his bed and skimmed; he wasn't going to lay around and read a girl's journal like some desperado… he was just perusing a friend's thoughts to he could help her out.

'Something about Trent's eyes, Trent's smile… sheesh, this girl has too much time on her hands,' he laughed, a hand lazily tucked behind his head as he continued to skim. And skim… and skim some more. It all seemed dedicated to what she had eaten, how challenges had gone and how Trent had said something funny or cute. 'Man, I'm gonna get cavities soon,' he muttered, sitting up and flicking faster and faster until he spotted his own name in her neat little cursive.

'Ducan is such a – a what?' the word was scrawled out, replaced with a series of scribbles and skulls. It seemed this was after the whole incident where he had chatted to Heather and acted a little chummy. Maybe it had been a bad idea, in hindsight, seeing as he had backed the wrong horse.

The journal continued in such a fashion, with little to no mention of his name. Was it a good thing? He wondered what he had been expecting, really. They were friends, so it wasn't like he was going to find some epic discussion of what they had said or done, like in tacky teen movies he always got forced into by one date or another. Maybe that was what worried him; usually, he seemed to have little issue winning girls over. The bad-boy persona made them sure they could change him, better him and remodel him into a husband.

A D.I.Y project to be precise; however, Gwen seemed to take him at face value and let him operate as such. She wasn't trying to fix him or better him, and for the most part, she seemed willing to _join _him. He felt a smile creep across his features, the pages and pages of nothing but Trent, food and the crappiness of camp now mattering very little to him. He knew, in some small way or another, Gwen did want him; he knew it. Why it mattered some much wasn't as obvious to him as he first thought… m-maybe he did like Gwen for more than her 'buddy' potential.

They'd been nothing but platonic, and he'd never really tried to hit on her; that confused him. He tended to, in some small way or another, hit on a girl at some point. But with Gwen, it was a matter of horror flicks, lame jokes and their general disregard for social normality that linked them… not their ability to vapidly laugh and bat hands at one another; nor to kiss in a fleeting display of teenage affection. Duncan, for all his deliquesce and disruption, was able to think in coherent sentences… something that was probably a shock to everyone _but _Gwen. Another factor he counted in.

The pages suddenly sparked his interest. _'It's fun to act annoyed at Duncan; to know he actually cares whether or not I talk to him is actually kinda amusing… he's so stupid though, he never bothers to listen to others which only sets him apart from everyone. If he just listened rather than getting worked up, maybe everyone wouldn't be so afraid of him. After all, you didn't get this off me, but he is a decent guy under the piercings and death.'_

The phrase about being careful what you wish for rung true; Gwen had written about him and it had been in fairly glowing terms… it just happened to be sandwiched in between her self-assurance he was antisocial and faking his persona for the sake of fear. Scoffing a little, he read on and only found similar musings, and similar ideas. Then again, he noticed a trend. The further he went, the less there seemed to be about Trent's mystical eyes of blue or tacky comments about his hair or jawline.

Snatching the papers up, Duncan felt he'd had enough. He was going to go find Gwen, hand over the papers and somehow assure her he hadn't read them. Scratching his head a few times, he tried to figure out how to make this plan possible; he decided that he had never been the most subtle of all guys… so this was going to prove impossible.

'Yo Gwen,' Duncan called out as he arrived at the girls cabin. Gwen was at the edge of her bed and Trent was lazily snoozing. Gwen narrowed her eyes for a moment before sighing and turning her face aside.

'Yes Duncan?'

'I found all the extra pages that fell out,' he said with a triumphant sort of swell to his chest and smirk on his face.

'And how much did you read of it?' she asked as he handed over the papers; she examined them briefly before looking back to him, her eyebrow raised and her face coldly annoyed.

'Me? Read them? Never.'

'They're ordered by date – unless you used a calendar as a map…'

'Damn.'

Gwen shrugged, standing up and sticking out her hand to Duncan, 'Lighter.'

'You're not gonna burn this stuff; it'd be stupid and a waste… Don't you want to remember all the fun you had at camp and all the details of Trent's appearance?'

Gwen sighed and sat back down, the papers settling next to her. She seemed to have something unusual weighing her down, some kind of distraction that wouldn't usually have mattered. 'Goth girl?' Duncan attempted, a hand awkwardly clapped around the back of his neck.

'I guess you know now…' Gwen said with a dull look and her face turned away once more.

'Uh… Yes?'

'And it doesn't change anything?'

'Uh… No?'

Gwen seemed happier than before, her smile returning and a hesitant hug enclosing his waist. 'Good! I would hate to think something like that got in the way of our friendship. I mean, what Trent would do if he knew…'

Duncan heard a mantra of 'crap, crap, crap' running through his head. He figured if he blindly agreed to whatever Gwen was asking, he'd be safe. She believed he had read everything on the sheets, but he had missed an important detail or passage dated for a night a few days prior. He tried a few times to unsuccessfully drag the supposed 'secret' out of the short, teal-haired girl but to little results. He feared he'd upset her again if he admitted his lie.

'So… do you feel – uhm… forget it,' Gwen smiled, her hand rushing across her hair as she looked around. Some kind of blush passed over her as she seemed giddy with something he couldn't place. Trent was still snoozing in the background, causing Duncan a little apprehension. 'I guess you would have said something if you felt the same. Whatever, it's alright.'

Duncan stared wide-eyed and permanently smiling, unsure whether he should be happy, sad, angry or otherwise; he was only capable of so many emotions.

'Could I look at those sheets again? Just quickly?' Duncan asked, trying to reach for them. Gwen tutted her tongue, shaking her head.

'You gave them back; plus you read all there was to be read.' She seemed to blush a little harder for whatever reason, but Duncan was too persistent in his goal to notice. He awkwardly squeezed past her and grabbed the sheets of her journal. 'Duncan,' Gwen said with her motherly, warning tone as he flicked through them.

'Mhm, lovely princess, just shut it while I read,' he said, jumping and climbing about as he dodged and avoided Gwen.

'Are you a monkey or something…' Gwen cursed, her attempts totally rendered useless. She watched as he read, her face a little blank and scared. He seemed to have read all that she had written already from what he had said before and how he had reacted… then again, he could have just been agreeing with her. 'Wait… did you read it?'

'Ah…' Duncan gave as a vague reply, 'I skimmed. But now I just have to know,' he countered, an arm slung around Gwen's neck from behind in some awkward bear hug. She unsuccessfully clawed at the papers in his hands, unsure what he had and hadn't read.

'_I wonder if he could like me back… is that weird to wonder? I mean, Trent is great and all but he'd seemed a bit – odd lately. But Duncan, he doesn't change; always a bastard, always acting the same… it's nice to know something tries to stay the same on this godforsaken island.' _

'Well duh Trent likes you back,' Duncan laughed, his arm still attached to Gwen from behind. After her moment of silence and her sudden stillness, Duncan pieced it together. 'Oh… Oh. And… Oh…' he sounded reasonably surprised, confused, but intrigued by this revelation.

'Trying to sing now are we?'

'Shut it goth girl.'

'Skunk punk.'

_Don't forget to reveiw~!_

_A/N: 'Skunk' is another word for 'brute'. Oh I'm so not witty. And yes, all chapters end in them name-calling… shush._


	7. The Lake At Midnight

**Chapter Seven; The Lake At Midnight**

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Gwen let a small sigh escape her lips as she tried to sleep that very same night. Her and Duncan had, had one rather awkward conversation in which they basically (and mutually) denied having a crush on the other. Which was the truth! Wasn't it? Yes, it had to be. Her hands trailed across her pillow in some vague effort to replace her cat Joan; there was no replacement for the snuggles of a cat at night, especially when a girl's heart felt like it was going to fall right out of her chest.

The little Goth girl was trapped; trapped between a stable and caring (if not boring) relationship with Trent, where he treated her like a lady and he acted like a gentleman, or a rogue bastard named Duncan who acted more horrid than nice. This almost made no sense to her; Duncan was smug, annoying, reckless, secretly kind and totally hot.

Gwen rolled over angrily, the heels of her palms now forced against her forehead. She couldn't sleep. It was a mixture of her mind playing the conversation over and over in her head and the sensation of her stomach rolling around inside her; a strange yet accurate image. So, in her oversized black shirt and a pair of tracksuit pants she picked up off the floor, she wandered down to the lake and sat with her legs thrown over the edge of the dock. Her mind fell back to that afternoon, and what Duncan had said.

'_Gwen_, _you know you that's a lie. You gotta be joking me right? Where's the cameras? Or… you're… not kidding…' _he hadn't bothered to finish his thought, and simply threw the pages onto her bed. Something seemed to flicker in his eyes before he openly swore. He caught his mistake and averted his eyes to the floor; don't wear your heart on your sleeve, so to speak. He didn't say much else for a short while, probably because he lacked the personality trait that allowed him to remain sincere for more than a few seconds. The conversation hadn't lasted much longer, the two conceding they had been joking about the whole thing; Gwen could tell that was a lie. They would forget the whole thing, they agreed; again, a lie.

Why did Duncan almost seem synonymous with lie at the moment?

Gwen stared out over the dank lake, her feet almost touching the entirely nasty surface – maybe she was too hopeful in expecting something to manifest from her very useless flirtations with Duncan. Maybe she wasn't a match for Courtney, though that idea was a little upsetting. She wouldn't have said that Courtney was her equal were it not for Duncan right now; well, Duncan, and his assertion that Courtney and him really weren't all that _broken up_. Just on a temporary hiatus.

'I don't like him, not after that,' Gwen finally said aloud, sighing a little louder than she meant to. It was still close to midnight and most other campers were asleep anyway. All she had to do was make it a few more days then she could get to the new set of the show and focus on winning the million dollars; properly, this time.

Across the campsite there was a similar teen in a similar state; coincidentally, over a similar issue. Duncan was trying his best to forget how shattered Gwen looked behind her playful smile and laughter. '_Why would I like you_?' she had started, '_Didn't I already say I thought you were nothing but a juvie reject_?' she had easily smiled off, her arms crossed her under her chest. He had a slight difficult keeping his eye line in check with all the girls and their suddenly developed figures.

'Are you even listening to me?' Gwen questioned, her hair falling in her eyes rather strategically.

_Crap, been caught out. Quick Duncan, act fast. _'Why don't we just forget it?' _So not what I meant, Duncan. God, you're an idiot._

'Forget what?' Gwen softly chuckled as they walked off toward the cafeteria for lunch. Trent had come along, slipped his arms carefully around her waist and nuzzled his face into her shoulder. She seemed content with this, a sentiment that made Duncan roll his eyes and mock barfing. It wasn't before long the day faded to night once more. Chris had promised some surprise for the following day, but Duncan didn't care. He really, truly didn't care what the sleazy TV host had to say anymore; he was in it for the money and only the money. His glance crossed over to Gwen for a moment before he refocused on the bunk above his own. 'Only for the money,' he growled under his breath, swinging his legs out over the edge of the bed.

There was too much going on in his mind, and way too much going on with Gwen. This thought wouldn't let him go, something he resentfully noticed after her face seemed burned to his eyelids. She was pale, negative, aggressive, assertive, sarcastic and a total babe; in a different creed and class to all the other girls.

'Walk,' he assured himself, pulling on a pair of sneakers and tugging on a hoodie or sorts. He was out the door without another word, his intention rather clear to himself. He'd just run till he felt tired; sleep wherever he landed, and then drag himself to the meeting the next morning after a _nice_ shower and a _tasty _breakfast. He spent the duration of the run mulling over his entirely too complex relationship with both Gwen and Courtney; both he found physically attractive, but Courtney didn't really share anything in common with him; except for competiveness, and a love of making out.

Gwen, however, shared a host of black humour, wicked taste in films and a pragmatic view of the world. She was ideal; man, he had screwed up. When presented with an opportunity, he just assured her she was nothing to him and started blabbering about how much he liked Courtney still. As he jogged, he passed a lone, familiar figure; his footsteps slowed as an eyebrow darted up. 'Gwen?' he said under his breath, wandering over. 'Waiting to become a werewolf then?' he asked, glancing up at the sky; the moon was nearly full.

'If you knew me at all, you'd know I'm a vampire at heart.'

'Pun… nice,' Duncan sarcastically countered, his arms crossed. It was colder here than anywhere else on the island, so why was the girl so drawn to it? He debated whether to sit down or not, his hand scratching idly across his neck. 'Look, no cameras, no other campers, no one to censor ourselves for.'

'I'm not that kind of girl,' Gwen sarcastically drawled, standing up and staring at Duncan.

'Not what I meant,' he said with a deft smile, 'I know you were kidding earlier; you like me. I know it. So just admit it.'

'Is that why you're up? So you can keep trying to make me admit some stupid secret which doesn't even exist? I thought we said we'd forget all about it?' she instantly replied, her voice and words not matching the song and dance her mind was performing. 'Why would it matter either way if I liked you?' she added with a pointed stare up at Duncan, a careful tilt to her head becoming evident.

'It wouldn't. Uh. But you should still tell me.'

'If it wouldn't matter, I'm not telling. Let it go Duncan, I have,' she lied. Gwen stood up, shivering very noticeably against the cold. She hadn't bothered with a jacket after all.

'Why are you acting so weird? Can't we go back to eating chocolate and crap like that?' he asked with his fists by his sides, 'You were one of the first cool chicks I met that wasn't all catty and horrible to everyone for no reason; so why are you starting now?'

Gwen shrugged a little, taking a few steps towards camp before Duncan caught her elbow.

'I'm sorry?' he mumbled, unsure why he was apologising. The gesture felt right, so he ran with it, 'I can tell you're mad at me, and, since there's no one around, and no one to get all angry,' he paused before pulling Gwen into a one-armed hug.

'What's this for?' she asked blankly, staring up at him with her arms still crossed over her chest.

'Because you're a cool babe, I guess. Don't question a good thing,' he said with a dull grin and a raised eyebrow.

'A good thing is a new slasher flick,' she pointed out.

'Look, I'd love to chat for the night, but I'm doing some running and I'd hate to keep you up all night – y'know, with something that wasn't a little more…'

'Duncan,' Gwen sighed, her hand against her forehead.

'Point is,' he unzipped the jacket, shoving it into her hands, 'it was getting to hot for me to wear it running, so can you just take it till tomorrow? Thanks doll,' he purred with a smirk, running a hand across her upper arm. The gesture was quickly drawn back by Duncan as gave Gwen another one-armed hug, though this time she turned. And, rather than a one-armed hug, it ended up being just – a hug. 'Sweetheart?' he grinned down, patting her on the head.

'No cameras after all, they tend to ruin the fun… I have a feeling we'll end up being exploited for hanging out at night like this.'

'As if,' Duncan said with a chuckle, 'who would be interested in us anyway? We're the rejects; the off-cast; the loners.' With that, Duncan pulled out of the hug and took a few steps in the direction he'd previously been running. 'You should go back to your cabin, it's not safe out.'

'I can take care of myself,' she pointed out as he ran off into the distance.

'Who said you were the one in danger?' And, with that, he was gone; fading into the distance like a giant green, peach and black blob. Gwen barely registered the event as real as she clutched the hoodie in her arms. She looked between the hoodie and her goose bump covered arms and sighed; maybe he had a point. She pulled it on, zipping it up with particular hesitation. The jumper instantly reminded her of Duncan, a point that was a little scary to think about. It also smelt like him, but in the non-creepiest way Gwen could possibly consider.

Gwen toddled on back to her cabin, warmly snuggled up in the hoodie and entirely distracted from the very thing that had sent her out of the cabin in the first place. Upon arriving back to her bunk, she slid into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. It seemed too stupidly girly to have her problems fixed with a simple gesture of a hoodie when she was cold; even if it wasn't the boy's intention.

_Don't forget to reveiw~!_


	8. This Is How Zombies Are Made

**Chapter Eight; How Zombies Are Made**

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The following morning was a complete pain for the crippled form of Gwen; having spent a night tossing and turning, she was in no state of mind to be awake at the usual call. But, of course, this was no excuse for the overbearing sound of the bullhorn. There was the end of her nice sleep, and her comfortable dreams.

'Why does he have to be trippin' like this?' LeShawna moaned from her bunk bed, snuggled up against her mattress.

'What does that even _mean?' _Heather hissed with her hands on her hips. Although she had asked a question, she didn't wait for a reply. Rather, she sauntered off for the communal bathrooms before anyone else could make it.

'Great, we'll _never_ get into the bathroom now,' Gwen complained, remaining in bed for the time being. She could skip the morning shower for the sake of an extra 15 minutes sleep. It wouldn't be so bad, and she could just have a shower later. With that resolution in mind, Gwen flopped back into her bed and dozed for about twenty minutes; until LeShawna shook her awake.

'Girl, get dressed!'

'I am dressed!' Gwen complained, shrugging the other girl off. In a sleepy haze, Gwen got dressed and walked rather slowly toward the point of no return; the mess hall. She was totally screwed, that was clear. She had chosen to leave the hoodie back inher cabin, figuring she should return it at a more appropriate time; when not everyone was crowded around in a small, dank room.

'Alright campers!' Chris yelled as each of the remaining contestants filed into the room. In some ways, it made no sense. Wasn't there a five-star resort they could be at? Wasn't there _anywhere_ else they could stay? The only redeeming feature was that they had a temporary catering service rather than Chef's undercooked eggs – if they were lucky, they would be real eggs for once. Chris waited for everyone to sit down, his hands on his slim hips – he was a short man, wavy black hair and a fake tan that made Lindsay jealous; all the pathetic signs of Hollywood setting in it's talons. 'Turns out we have a situation,' he began with a concerned tone, making a few tutting sounds, 'a totally _dramatic_ situation.'

A concerned array of mumbles crossed over the cafeteria, Beth and Lindsay making small sounds of cooed concern. 'I hope we haven't run out of hair spray again,' Lindsay theatrically whispered to Beth, everyone scoffing at her words.

'No, just… well…' Chris faded for a moment, 'the place we were meant to be filming the next series is still being – eh – _tested_ by the totally willing interns.' Chris added that they had all thankfully signed contracts before continuing on about how it may be a couple more weeks before they were able to move across to the filmset. There were mutual sounds of utter annoyance between the contestants.

'Uh, don't we have school and stuff to worry about?' Trent asked, his hand resting on Gwen's knee who seemed a little more tired than everyone else. She yawned in her agreement, resting her elbow on the edge of the table before her hand slipped and she landed face-first on the table.

'School, shmool… This is a million dollars!' Chris added a theatrical hand gesture, 'well… that's it. Meeting adjourned.'

'So what, we're just stuck here for another few weeks with nothing to do?' Duncan asked.

'Unsupervised?' Izzy perked up, her eyes going brighter.

'With no homework?' LeShawna grinned, her hands waving very slightly with excitement.

'Not… ex-act-ly…' Chris coughed. 'We're gonna try out a bit of a _Real World_ spin for the next few weeks. You all get filmed doing everything – not just pre-challenge and post-challenge!' Chris pumped a fist in the air, his smile wavering as everyone looked more annoyed than excited. He, rather quickly, made a run for his expensive car waiting outside.

Everyone seemed a little shaken by the news before issuing a round of cheers. Splitting off from the one another into their little niches, LeShawna and Gwen wandered off for the communal bathroom. 'At least there won't be any challenges,' LeShawna said with a stretch and a sigh, 'just relaxation and – whatever else there is to do at an abandoned summer camp. I'm thinkin' about working on my tan.'

'Same here,' Gwen joked with sigh, her eyes casting over her shoulder every few minutes. 'I kinda feel like there will be challenges – but not Chris-is-a-sadistic-host challenges…'

LeShawna pouted for a moment, her hands on her hips as they walked, 'Girl, what happened last night? You seem all frazzled. You and Trent have a midnight rendezvous?' she implied, a smirk crossing her features. Upon seeing Gwen blush, she laughed loudly. 'My, my, and you didn't tell me,' the shorter girl almost seemed upset, but quickly ignored the emotion, 'so tell me now.'

Gwen shook her head, 'I didn't have a romantic anything last night. I was just out by the lake thinking.'

'And… some tall, dark and handsome came along and whisked you off your feet?'

'More… Tall, dark and Duncan,' Gwen admitted against her better judgement. Something about the situation merited a friend to talk to… she didn't know what she was going to do. With this very mild revelation, Gwen filled LeShawna in – about her fledgling crush on the punk, and how she had admitted it; even if she had later explained it had been a joke.

'Damn… that's so gonna ruin you and Trent,' LeShawna almost sounded _more _upsetthan Gwen over this little thought; Gwen hadn't even considered how it would affect herself and Trent yet. The two arrived at the bathroom just after Owen, their motives now lost to them. 'Uh… you wanna go talk about this then?'

'Not really. I just want it to go away.' The two wandered off for the cabins, leaving the bathroom behind them. They spent the rest of the afternoon resting and chatting about nothing in particular. They hadn't been hanging out as much as they used to, what with both of them having relationships to some description. Harold and LeShawna weren't as obvious or controversial as Gwen and Trent, or Duncan and Courtney.

Eventually the girls trailed off from their conversation; in truth, there wasn't much else they could say around the others without some kind of tension beginning once more. It was already bad enough they were being forced to sit around whilst the DVD features were being recorded and particular scenes required new confession stall shots. It was sloppy work in Gwen's opinion, but she wasn't really in any position to complain.

LeShawna eventually excused herself for the sake of lunch. Gwen wasn't hungry, so she stayed back in the cabin on her bunk bed, sketching stupid things like dancing skeletons and bears with party hats. She smirked all the while, her attention focused on the task at hand. She hardly noticed the stealthy punk sneak into the room.

'Got my jacket?' he asked casually, one hand on the frame of the bunk bed.

'Mh, there,' she toed the jacket with her boot, eyeing Duncan carefully. He picked it up and examined it, his eyes returning to Gwen in a moment.

'What're you drawing?' he asked cautiously, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

'Nothing.'

'Lies,' he laughed.'

Gwen sighed and showed him the stupid drawings she'd dedicated herself to. 'See? It really isn't anything – hey!'

Duncan had snatched the book away from her, flicking to the front. 'I doubt that, that's all you've drawn,' he smiled, clutching the book in one hand.

'Give it back,' Gwen snapped, her hand extended as she jumped up. He stood up too, taking a few steps back. The two playfully fought for a moment, Gwen almost snatching the book back a few times. LeShawna's discarded sleepwear provided an obstacle, however, as the silky fabric tripped up Duncan. He was now on his back, groaning rather sorely. Gwen felt a little bad for him, her hip cocked out to the side.

'Here,' she offered him a hand to help him up, but he pulled her down instead. 'Hey -'

Gwen wasn't sure how, or why, but they were now awkwardly face to face on the floor, her hand still clutched in Duncan's. '…And what did you expect to achieve from this?' Gwen asked sarcastically, staring down at Duncan with subtle annoyance.

'Kiss me.'


	9. Showing All The Cards

**Chapter Nine; Showing All The Cards**

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In their haste, neither had noticed the sudden appearance in the doorway. A long-legged Asian girl strode in, her hair (well, _wig_) swaying behind her as she examined the pile of goth and punk. She stood for a moment, as if in disbelief of her own luck. These two were a gossip-monger's dream, honestly.

Stupidly, neither of them seemed to notice her until she interrupted with the comment "kiss me", her voice a mockery of Duncan's. The two looked up to her with mutual confusion, their moment fading from playful, to romantic, to extremely awkward all in a few seconds. They practically flew away from one another, fixing their clothes needlessly and staring off in opposite directions.

"Not that I care, like, at all…" Heather began softly, toeing the floor in some attempt to look coy, "but… I totally thought you guys were dating _other_ people… I guess… I was wrong?" she softly decided, her hands settled on her hips. Gwen was the first to snap, shaking her head rather rapidly and snatching her sketchbook up. She didn't even bother addressing either Heather or Duncan before storming out of the room.

This left an awkward Duncan with an intrigued Heather, a situation that could never end well. "We weren't gonna kiss," Duncan pointed out quickly, cracking his neck out of habit. His hands flexed from in and out from a fist position as he watched Heather sway from leg to leg, as if contemplating which side to take.

"Oh really? It didn't _look_ that way… And that's why I tried to help you!" Heather defended, blind to the fact no one trusted her anyway. There was really no point in her trying to play the nice, sweet girl anymore.

"I'm dating Courtney," Duncan defended.

"No you aren't. You two are so broken up 'cause she's off the show, and you're on it making goo-goo eyes at the weird goth girl," Heather quipped, examining her perfectly manicured nails. There was no point even arguing with her on this, seeing as she was set in her ways… "I mean… You and Gwen, when we were the final four? Owen and I had a bet on who would slip up and admit you were dating."

Duncan looked at Heather like she was crazy. "Gwen's a friend. She's a dude in a skirt," he added for emphasis. He didn't like Gwen like that, no way, no how. "And… I _am _dating Courtney. As if she could ever leave this," he added with a casual smirk, raising an eyebrow at the tall black-haired beauty in front of him. She was a total villain, but he could still check her out… Even if she had a wig on now…

"Skeeze, go hit on goth girl."

With that, Duncan was alone in the cabin, left wondering what the hell he was left with. Y'know, aside from the killer need to make out with someone… He blamed thinking about Courtney, talking to Heather and – nothing to do with Gwen. Especially not that little tumble they'd had… He hadn't even _meant_ to pull her down! It was an accident, and he just didn't know his own strength; nothing more and definitely nothing less. His eyes skimmed the room briefly, wondering where all the girls kept their underwear. He may as well raise a flag up the camp flagpole if he was left to his own devices.

"Any thoughts on this _Real World_ thing Chris mentioned?" Trent asked Gwen, his arm settled around her shoulders. It was late that same evening, with everyone tucked around the campfire and the sound of birds chirping themselves to sleep… It was all a little too serene.

"Uh… Haven't even thought about it…" Gwen yawned, nuzzling into Trent's neck a little more. He was surprisingly comfortable to lean on; a trait that Gwen really did appreciate in her sleep-deprived state.

"Can you two go join the _other_ couple? You're makin' me sick," Duncan yelled from across the campfire. He was playing cards with Harold, DJ and Owen (who was surprisingly good at cards; though, not as good as the cheating Duncan). The group made a small round of sounds, either laughing or agreeing.

"Hey, good idea, c'mon Trent. Let's go find somewhere more private," Gwen shot back, standing up and taking Trent's hand in her own. Trent seemed immediately excited for the idea, smiling at the small goth girl without much reservation.

Duncan frowned (for reasons beyond him), "Hey, wait, Gwen. I'm cold and _you_ still have my jacket from the other night."

"Huh?" Trent's eyebrows narrowed in Duncan's direction.

"Did I say 'Trent'? No, didn't _think_ so."

"Can you just get it later?" Gwen asked with a sigh, tightening her grip on Trent's hand as she started off for the cabins. They only made it a few steps before Duncan was at their side.

"Nah, how about Trent plays for me while I go get it… You and him can make out or whatever after I have my jacket," Duncan waved a hand at Trent, sending obvious signals to back off and go play cards… It was his own fault for even suggesting that Trent and Gwen go off in the first place; he _still_ didn't know why he cared. Well… he didn't care. He was cold, and he wanted his jacket.

Gwen frowned a little, casting a look at Trent, "Since he's not gonna let up on this…" she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Trent just shrugged in agreement, walking past Duncan (with a very intentional shoulder-knock) to sit down and pick up the cards. Duncan ignored the gesture, shrugging it off. Juvie was about twenty times scarier than some hellhole of a camp, so there was no point getting angry about that. It was essentially a juvie handshake in some respects.

The two set off for the cabins, Gwen quietly angry and Duncan loudly interested in her annoyance.

"C'mon Sunshine," Duncan smirked, smacking Gwen on the rear when he knew no one was looking.

"C'mon _what_?" Gwen half-yelled at him as she punched him in the arm.

Duncan scowled at her, holding his arm where she had punched him. He sighed through his nose, glaring off toward the trees in the distance. "I was gonna ask why you're being so angry, but y'know, if you're gonna punch and be a bitch, I actually don't care."

Gwen slowed her steps, her arms crossed just under her best, her eyes narrowed ahead of her. Duncan slowed too, though only to stand in front of her. They shared the first proper moment together since earlier that day, "I don't like you pretending you like me."

"What?"

"You only asked for your jacket back because Trent and I were going off… And you just… Look, I don't need people feeling sorry for me. I'm a loner, I'm a weird goth, but I'm not _desperate_ for people to be nice to me. So you can just drop this act -"

Duncan had closed the gap between them, snatching Gwen into his arms for a hug. "_When in doubt, hug it out_" was his motto in all matters involving girls; whether they were mad, sad, happy or whatever, they always loved hugs. Once she seemed to settle into the gesture, he stepped back from her. "I'm not pretending to like you. I _do_ like you."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're cool, and you don't talk all the time… And you have dark humor, which is different. Plus, Gothic Mind Explosion? Kick ass band," he awkwardly complimented, his arms still wrapped around her shoulders.

"Oh," Gwen rubbed at her eyes very vaguely, hiding the fact she had been crying very well. Duncan decided to let that slide, not wanting to have to comfort a crying girl right now. He tugged her hand into his own and pulled her along to the girls' cabin. The lights were on in the boys' cabin, so he assumed there wouldn't be Geoff and Bridgette making out in Gwen's own cabin at least.

After about half an hour, they realized that they were meant to grab the jacket and return to camp; instead, they'd settled into a conversation about absolutely nothing. Duncan had made a comment about Gwen's hair, Gwen had laughed at his collar… It all progressed until Gwen was questioning him about his obsession with fire.

"I dunno… It's all earthy or whatever. And it's fun to watch," he admitted from his position on the floor. Gwen was lying on her bed fiddling with his Mohawk (out of boredom), and he was sitting on the floor with his legs extended out in front of him. They had set some music to play, thumping loudly through the cabin. He was surprised they'd managed to actually have a conversation.

Then he wasn't sure, mostly because _something_ happened. He could vaguely recall turning around to ask her a question. It was probably then when she sat up, smiling at him in some weirdly cute way. He could remember pulling himself up onto his knees to face her… but the next thing he knew he was pinning the goth girl to her bed, his lips fused to hers. This wasn't even an accidental kiss he could blame on tripping, if those existed. An honest to God kiss that he wasn't sure he meant and she wasn't sure she hated. He knew he didn't care though.

Gwen was the first to speak, "Duncan." Well, attempt to speak. Her voice fizzled off as Duncan nibbled at her throat gently. "This is screwed up."

"Definitely," Duncan agreed, a hand now settled on her side, adjusting her position just in the slightest so he could – _wait_, where was she going? Duncan's mind finally caught up with his body as he watched her fixing her hair and lipstick, a frown evident on her face. "Gloomcookie, y'look **fine**. Come back over here - "

"You _aren't _Trent. I'm not your Sunshine or Gloomcookie or anything. We're friends. You like Courtney," Gwen soberly spat, her hands musing her hair into something acceptable. She didn't even know what to say, her mind flooded with comments she wished she could make. Yeah, Duncan was hot. So? She was dating Trent. She liked Trent. Duncan was her friend, and her best guy friend on the island. They were supposed to bro-fist each other whenever they made a lame joke and – they were supposed to _not_ make out. _Ever_.

Because Gwen couldn't handle the idea of Duncan only using her for some semblance of physical contact, at least not like that. She could hug him or hold his hand, but she wasn't prepared to be some girl he could make out with and run off on. Seriously, he'd see Courtney again and just flock to her; there was no doubt about it. She had Trent who was dedicated, loving, handsome and -

"Crazy," Duncan dismissed.

"Am not," Gwen mewled, her eyes going wide.

"I'm a hot punk, you're a hot goth – how is this not okay?" Duncan asked a little confused.

"Trent -"

"Is a huge loser for letting me run off with his girlfriend, duh. I don't see the link here…" Duncan shrugged, sitting up on Gwen's bed with his legs thrown over the edge. He sat for a moment before swooping out from under the bunk. "C'mon, it's a bit of fun. We're 16, not married and in our 50s… As if you'll be dating him in 5 years."

Gwen blinked at Duncan, "What the hell happened here?"

"Uh… I realized you were hot and I thought that it was criminal you let you sit around with Trent and play Scrabble all night?"

"This is about what Heather said…" Gwen angrily sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead. She was angry, in part, to Heather's intervention. Something that had been an innocent mistake and a tumble was turned into some huge deal. It wasn't like they even came close to kissing or anything. Well, not that time. Crap!

"No. This is about you having a crush on me, and me kind of being okay with that."

"…What?"


End file.
